Improvements in the design and manufacture of various kinds of electrical/telecom devices, such as appliances, telephones, computers and lighting systems, have resulted in widespread availability of these devices, as well as their increased use by consumers. Accordingly, consumer demand for increased availability of electrical/telecom outlets, switches, and other wiring devices has also resulted. A demand therefore exists for reducing the cost of electrical/telecom wiring systems, and for reducing the size of these systems for easier installation and improved aesthetics.
To satisfy these needs, conduits have been developed to carry power and communication lines to device boxes, in addition to conventional wiring configurations used behind the walls of residential and commercial buildings. Further, device boxes have been designed to be partitioned to accommodate more than one wiring system and various devices.
Various partitions for device boxes are known in the prior art. These partitions are characterized by a number of limitations and disadvantages. For example, a removable partition for an electrical outlet box is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,945 to Trachtenberg, which has conical insertion members on its bottom edge for coupling the partition to the electrical box. Specifically, the conical insertion members are snap-fitted into existing holes in the base of the outlet box. Since the partition is secured to the base of the outlet box along its bottom edge only, the partition is more likely to be inadvertently disengaged from the base of the outlet box, particularly when extraneous forces are applied to the middle or top sections of the partition.
Another example of a partition for an electrical box is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,525 to Lewus. This patent discloses a partition that is slidably received in slots formed on opposite sides of an electrical wiring box to divide the electrical box in half. The slots provide support for the partition along two of its four sides when it is inserted into the box.
Other examples of partitions for electrical boxes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,296,811 to Keller and U.S. Pat. No. 1,929,844 to Haas. Each of these patents disclose a partition which is secured within an electrical outlet box by screws. While these partitions may be more rigidly secured within an electrical box than other partitions of the prior art, these partitions are not readily removable from the box when such removal is desired.
In view of the above, it is apparent that there exists a need for a partition for a device box which will overcome the above problems in the prior art, and which is relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture. This invention addresses this need in the art along with other needs which will become apparent to those skilled in the art once given this disclosure.